New Year Audio Thread

[jls001]

On a more serious note, this year I will venture back into computer audio. I use a very old PC which was already headed for the neighbourhood raddiwala. It is absolutely not optimised for audio. It has a noisy processor fan. I added what I thought was a low-noise cabinet fan that turned out to be anything but quiet. Despite a wrecked body, it sounds very nice, all thanks to the sound card. In fact it sounds nearly as nice as the sound from the CD player. The only area where the CD player trumps it is in having a more organic tonality. The computer is a mite harder sounding. I have not bothered to use better D-type connectors or better XLR connector or better AES/EBU cable. I think these could help fine tune the sound. Experimenting with players is also in the cards. Right now it is foobar. I am not yet sure if a two-computer JPlay setup is too far out for me.

Secondly, I need to put an end to the intermittent experimentations on the Lenco L75 turntable. I need to soon glue up the plinth and be done with it. I feel I have finally got the basic sound right. Whatever I am doing now and further are but garnishings and incremental improvements. But this is not the end of the analog tinkering road - in its place, to occupy the center of my audio heart, will be the Garrard 301 rebuilding project.

Thirdly, absolutely no more building of phono preamplifiers (except for friends who can't build it themselves). I have built two CNCs, one Hypnotoad MC and one AD797 MC and the Pass Pearl II. It's now enough! Time to listen to the music. Pearl II will get some garnishings (DIP switch or rotary selectors for adjustments of gain, resistive loading and capacitive loading).

Fourth, the Pass F5 Turbo Version 2 will also get fast-tracked. I was struggling to find a suitable heat sink. It is now magically available with magma I am hoping to try my hands on augmenting the cooling using a low-speed, low-noise fan to help the cooling of the heatsink.

Fifth, I will revisit all my cables. I am inclined to trying out DIY ones. To that end, I have been accumulating various cables (from far and wide, and with help from friends) and various RCA & XLR connectors for ICs.

There will also be some side projects like restoring an SME 3012 tonearm.

Addendum 1: I will also try to finally wrap up a nearly finished Mauro Penasa MyRef Rev C amplifier.

Addendum 2: Pass B1 buffer also will be fast tracked. In fact this is the first thing I am taking up this year.

It will be fun filled and a great learning experience.

 

[magma]

2014 for me

on the audio front

I am looking at buying a gryphon and with joshuas help complete an F5 ( if i can find all the parts!

and a possible emerald physics may be on the cards

On the commerical front
I hope to introduce 2 new speaker stands in January
a power cable
the awaited distribution box
and another isoaltion device

and a complete budget rack ( hope to make it available for under 10k assembled and shipped ) - which i believe is really budget

wherein one only buys the frame
and plonks on whatever shelving he wants himself
just a rectangular piece on glass, wood whatever will do as per his budget

On a personal front
i hope to learn basic web design skills ( this is gonna be a challenge for me - im not good with PCs and thier language )
many peers have recommended something called dreamweaver ( which i already bought )
I hope to also learn basic photoshop


i had an offer to deal dyna audios and a couple amplification brands
but i dont think this is my cup of tea though i really like a couple of thier offerings and do believe in them